A cub before a lion
by BalefulAutodidact
Summary: Lily Evans is bright, charming and brave, but entering a new world is still scary. With prejudice still lurking in the magical world, and hints of something darker beginning to form, she can rely only on herself and the one friend who enters that world with her, to take Lily from the nervous, bright young muggle, to the fierce, brave witch she will become.


There really was, Lily thought, no sound more comforting to her than the gentle rustling of leaves in the growing warmth of early summer evenings. It was a reassuring sound; crisp, but soft enough to be more soothing than distracting, and when the breeze that brought that sound to her ears met her face and cooled her reddened cheeks, she felt almost as though she could forget everything that troubled her, and Lily Evans had a lot of troubles to forget.

To an older mind, those troubles would of course be small and almost insignificant: worries for her new school, which she was to begin at summer's end, and the loss of all her earliest friends it would likely bring; fear for her father, whose health was not what it ought to be for a man barely entering his fourties; anxiety and frustration over and with her sister, whose petty jealously never seemed to stop, and had only grown worse as they'd reached their 11th year.

"Tunie..." Lily heaved a sigh heavier than any adult, were they close enough to hear, could possibly expect from such a small and usually happy little girl as she swayed slightly on the swing she was perched on, staring down at the asphalt of the park as though hoping to fall into the blackness of it and be swallowed up, barely noticing the sounds of the children nearby, shouting loudly as they played.

It wasn't that she felt sad for herself, Lily's thoughts instead were consumed only by her sister, Petunia, and the last in a long line of arguments between them. Arguments, Lily thought with a slight sulk, usually started _by_ Petunia and one of her jealous tantrums. Usually, it was because other children wanted Lily to play with them before Petunia, or because little Daryl Glenn from number 81 was holding her hand again instead of Petunia's. This time? It had been because Lily had, oh so selfishly, told her sister how excited she was about her visitor who was coming to see her and their parents the next day. Her mum hadn't told her who exactly was coming or why, but she was clearly excited about it, and even trying her best to wheedle information from her dad had turned up nothing either though he was, if anything, positively bursting with excitement himself.

Petunia, never missing an opportunity to be cruel, had smirked and told her that actually the person coming was a social worker, to take Lily away to a new family, one as _freaky_ as Lily was. In fact, she even went as far as to say the only reason dad was smiling at her when he looked at Lily was because he couldn't wait to get her out of the house. Lily knew it wasn't true, knew it could never have been anything but a petty effort at hurt, but it still _hurt,_ and Petunia knew just how to say it to make it almost sound believable. It was all Lily could do to turn and flee from the house, hiding her face as she burst past her confused and concerned mother, running as fast as she could to be somewhere, _anywhere_ where Petunia wasn't.

Now, sitting in her favourite swing set at the edge of the park, swinging idly with her head down and eyes shut, she tried to calm down. It was so hard. It was always hard, no matter how many times Petunia did this to her. Every time, she asked herself why this always happened, why Petunia was so awful to her so often, and every time, she came down to the same simple realisations.

Lily was smart enough to recognise that she had always been treated slightly differently than other children and was aware enough, though too humble to admit, that she was probably smarter and likely more attractive, both as a person and, in time, as a girl too, than her sister would ever be. She'd never say it, in fact, the thought never even crossed Lily's mind to try, no matter how heated the arguments between the two girls became. Still, the fact was there and, even if Lily failed to admit that simple, unchangeable truth, her friends and even her parents could see it. None of them, especially her parents, were cruel enough to force such truths on either Lily or Petunia though. Not that it mattered, Petunia was not stupid, even if she wasn't as bright as Lily, and she knew this as well as anyone.

It was simply the way things were: Lily Evans was gifted academically, a bright and vivacious girl whose auburn hair, immaculately groomed, well, _usually_ immaculately, complemented her bright green eyes and these two things, coupled with her soft face and gentle smile, would melt even the hardest of hearts. On top of that, there was something else about Lily, something almost beyond the edge of realisation; there was a _spark_ to her, that in times of fury or pain or joy lit her eyes like glowing embers, and seemed to almost fill the space around her with a haze of brightness and life. Lily didn't notice it usually, but her parents certainly had and Petunia, well, Petunia noticed _everything_ about Lily, especially where it was different from Petunia herself. Really, it would be hard not to notice when those moments so often meant something _odd_ happening. A broken vase becoming whole again, the lights bursting, or sometimes, odder and stranger things still.

"It's not like I do it on purpose..." Lily grumbled, shifting her feet to kick at a few of the loose pieces of asphalt beneath the swing, worn and damaged by years of small feet using them as a runway for the swings above. Really, it wasn't her fault, she didn't _try_ to outdo her sister, and she didn't even want to. It just...happened sometimes. Should she pretend to be stupid, or make her friends hate her, just to please Petunia?

Lily sighed again and looked up across the park, trying as usual to think of a way to make things right between her and her sister. No matter what was said between the two of them they were sisters, and Lily knew, she just _knew_ , that deep down Petunia didn't really hate her. She didn't understand exactly why Petunia was so mean, but she did at least have enough wisdom in her few years of life to recognise something more was bothering Petunia this time, and she hated the feeling that it was connected to tomorrow's visit.

"She shouldn't take it out on me, whatever it is..."

"...Lil?"

Lily jumped, very nearly launching her swing into the air with shock as a low, flat voice spoke just behind her, bringing a sudden end to her grumbling and setting her heart to a thousand beats a minute in surprise. As she spun around, she found the diminutive figure of the strangest of her friends standing just behind her, looking almost as lost as she felt, and backing away at her reaction.

"Sev, you nearly finished me off! Don't _do_ that!" Lily spoke harshly, her morose grumble replaced immediately by a voice equal parts nervous relief and irritation for being snuck up on, even if by a friend.

Severus didn't say anything for a moment, clearly sensing the anger in Lily's tone, and probably her eyes too, and backed away ever so slightly, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Sorry Lil! Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, but you were in a world of your own again!"

Lily huffed, sitting back on the swing, this time facing Severus, and fixing him with a piercing glare that seemed to cut through the boy's usual indifferent posture like a knife through butter. Severus, clearly upset, raised his hands a little higher and spoke with his best effort at soothing.

"I mean it! I did call your name a few times Lil! I had to get close or you'd never have heard me at all."

Lily huffed again, still mad at being interrupted at a time like this, but her eyes did soften slightly as she noted, not without some amusement, just how much she'd cowed him with her glare. It was one of her talents that she was most proud of, inherited from her mother and perfected against her father, and it never failed to stop anyone who met her bright green eyes at such moments right in their tracks. She let out a small giggle as Severus started to shake slightly, clearly terrified he'd really upset her.

"It's fine Sev, but seriously, you _do_ have a talent for sneaking up on people. Anyone else would call it a little creepy if they didn't know you don't do it on purpose. Well, usually, anyway."

Severus, as Lily laughed, finally smiled a little, his lips curling in what might almost seem a sneer if his eyes hadn't been showing a little of the relief and warmth that his features otherwise rarely displayed. He lowered his hands to his side and moved forward to sit on the asphalt before Lily, legs crossed, almost looking as though she were about to teach him all the secrets of the world. Lily giggled again at the sight, and the low chuckle that rumbled from Severus was enough to remove the last of her low mood from her. Strange her friend might be, but he did seem to know just how to make Lily feel better, even if it was, as now, usually in exchange for his surrendering to her will.

"Creepy? You really think so Lil?" Severus looked up at her, a hint of anxiety replacing the smile as he looked up at her nervously, something he did all too often, thought Lily with a frown.

"I'm only kidding Sev, but it _would_ be nice if you didn't do it. It's rude to make a lady jump." Lily brushed her hair back behind her ears, smiling again in what she hoped was a reassuring way, and Severus finally seemed to relax before reaching to the asphalt with his hands and beginning to toy with the same loose spots Lily had just been dislodging with her feet. Lily sat expectantly, waiting for Severus to speak, but he just kept toying with the ground, and Lily realised he'd stay silent forever if she didn't speak first.

"Sev? What's up?" Lily began to swing her legs idly, wondering at Severus' evident nervousness. It wasn't unusual for him to go quiet, but usually only before they were due to go home, not _before_ they'd even spoken.

Severus stopped picking at the asphalt and looked ahead of himself for a moment, looking like he was chewing something very unpleasant in his mouth if his expression was anything to go by, and looked up at her with more than a little hesitation in his expression.

"Lil, I just wondered, well..." He looked down again, fumbling with the asphalt, before mumbling, "you OK?"

Lily blinked, surprised at this question.

"Uh, yeah, I guess, what about you Sev?"

"Oh...fine."

Severus went back to picking at the ground and Lily frowned slightly, wondering what the problem was. Before she could decide whether to ask or not, Severus mumbled again, but too quietly to hear.

"Sev? What was that?"

Severus looked up at her again, briefly meeting her eyes, and lowered them again before speaking.

"I just wondered if you were sure, it's just...You don't usually come here on your own, and..." Severus bit his lip, clearly struggling to speak, "Well, you just looked a bit sad is all."

Lily blinked again, a little confused. It wasn't like Severus to notice anyone's feelings like this, although he did at least usually seem sensitive to hers. Even so, as she thought how best to lie, she realised something.

"Well, I guess thanks for asking, but how do you know that Sev?" Severus looked up at her, meeting her eyes and looking confused, before she continued, "I mean, you were _behind_ me, how could you tell I was sad?"

Lily, realising she'd just admitted she _was_ sad, cursed inwardly in a way most unlike herself at the accidental slip, but realising it was too late to reverse that mistake, she just waited as Severus continued picking at the ground, clearly thinking about something.

"Well, that's..."

"Yes, Sev?"

Severus met her eyes again briefly, and Lily was surprised to see it looked as though he was fighting the urge to run. That was _very_ unusual, and she began to feel a little anxiety.

"Sev? Nothing's wrong at home again, is there?"

Lily spoke gently, but Severus still reacted as though stung, looking up at her wide-eyed before shaking his head frantically, and she realised from the ferocity of his reaction it really couldn't be that which was, frankly, a nice change from the norm.

"Then what's up? It's going to be boring if we just sit in silence."

Severus held her gaze for a few moments, before slumping his shoulders and seeming to come to a decision of some sort. Lily couldn't help but brace herself; it was never a good sign if Severus was having trouble saying something.

"Well, I actually wanted to show you something, I mean, if you wanted...I just, since y'know, you'll find out anyway, I...never mind, it's stupid."

Lily could see Severus was rapidly talking himself out of whatever he'd wanted to do, and she reached down, meeting his eyes with her own again, and trying the best smile she had, considering how her day had been, to reassure him again.

"Sev?"

He met her eyes and his panic seemed to lessen, his second genuine smile of the evening meeting her own after a few moments, and she noted with a little amusement the slight pinking of his pale features as he nodded slightly at her.

"Alright, but it'll be easier if I show you."

"Show me what, Sev?" Lily frowned slightly as Severus reached down to the ground and patted the broken asphalt, clearly hinting at her to sit in front of him. With a slight mental shrug and a little curiosity she took the place before him, and watched curiously as he pulled a small set of daisies from the pocket of his slightly ragged jeans, which Lily noted with a frown were the same ones he'd been wearing all week. Mentally noting that fact, she didn't speak as he put the daisies into one of his hands, and held it out.

"That's sweet Sev." Lily smiled at him, reaching out for the daisies, but Severus, clearly realising what she thought he was doing, shook his head slightly, causing her to frown and, though she didn't realise it consciously, pout ever so slightly, bringing a look of panic into his embarrassed features.

"That's not what I-well, I mean, I can get some for you if you want but...um, I wanted to show you them, not like I collect them or anything, I mean-"

Severus was working himself up into a nervous storm and Lily giggled, causing him to pause his breathless explanations, his eyes narrowing slightly before he huffed and folded his arms, which only made her laugh a little more.

"Really, Sev, you're too easy to tease. C'mon, I didn't mean it, I really want to know what you want to show me."

Severus huffed again, but as usual as soon as he looked at her smile his defences collapsed and, with a slight scowl, he leaned forward again and held his hands out, looking up into her face with a more serious expression than he usually wore, and she stopped giggling, curious.

"Just watch, Lil."

Frowning, she looked down at the flowers and Sev did too. They both stared at them, and Lily began to wonder after a few moments what exactly Severus was up to. He wasn't usually the pranking sort. But, just as she was beginning to frown, something happened that stopped her opening mouth dead.

"Did those daises just _move_ Sev?"

"Just watch, Lil."

Lily was confused beyond belief, but Severus' tone left no room for arguing and she obediently watched his hands, now curious to see what he was doing. Then, to her complete shock, the daisies actually _floated_ out of his hands, rising slowly up about an inch or so between them and, as she felt a strange warmth breeze out from Severus, they began to _twirl_ in the air before her, the stems starting to interlock until, after a few moments, an intricate image of a flower had been formed out of the connected daisies, still twirling slightly in the air before sinking back down and landing in Severus' hands. As it did, the warmth she'd felt faded away and, shaking slightly, she looked up at Severus.

"Sev...what...?"

She was scared and confused. It just wasn't possible, that could _not_ have just happened, and yet, as she raised her eyes to meet his, she saw only his small, almost impossible to spot smile, and not a hint of a trick or a laugh in his eyes. She didn't know what to say.

"Lil, you know what that was, right?"

Lily, eyes falling to the flowers for a moment, simply shook her head slightly, mouth half open, and looked back up at Severus, who was smiling at her still.

"I don't-"

"Think, Lil. You're good at that. Just think. You know what that was."

She didn't reply, her mind racing to try and understand. It didn't make any sense, and what she just saw was surely impossible. _Impossible._

 _Impossible, like a vase that mends itself. Like an entire house full of lights popping at once. Like Petunia...like Petunia being thrown out of Lily's room during an argument. Like the way the door slammed after Petunia yelled "freak!"_

Lily's breathing had increased to the point she was beginning to feel faint, and she stared at Severus who was smiling more broadly now, spotting the beginnings of recognition in her eyes. He didn't say anything though, he simply held out the flowers to her and, her hands numb, she took them into her own, examining them. They _felt_ real, they _looked_ real. But...

"Lil."

She looked up at Severus again, who had stopped smiling and was watching her carefully, clearly weighing his words before he spoke again.

"You can do that too. You know it, and I do too. You're special, like me."

 _Special._

Yes, that word was one often applied to Lily Evans, and by many people. But there was special, and then there was _this_.

"Lil. Hold your hands out."

Lily looked up from the flowers to Severus' face, beyond the point of speaking, and simply obeyed, raising her hands up, the flowers resting in them.

"Now, just feel, Lil. _Feel_ the flowers in your hands, memorise their shape, their softness, their weight, everything. Imagine them doing whatever you want them to, anything you can think of, and reach out with those feelings, as though you're pushing them into the flowers."

Lily said nothing, still too confused and numb to speak and simply nodded, deciding that if she was just going crazy, she might as well enjoy the ride. And if Severus was making fun of her, he'd be sorry alright. Yet, she just knew he wasn't, that he couldn't do that, not to her, and so she did as he said, she focused. She imagined the flowers rising up, imagining them unravel from the shape they had formed into a long line in the air, connecting into one another at the stem to form a long chain, like the ones she made so often with her friends. With that thought, she _reached_.

At first nothing happened but then, as Lily stared at the flowers, she felt the warmth again. It was faint, almost impossible to notice, but it was there and just as she noticed it, the flowers moved again, rising slowly and beginning to detach themselves. She simply watched, her mouth agape, as they formed a neat line before her face, and she saw across from her as they did so the look of happiness in Severus' face. He was smiling at her, wider than he ever had, and if she weren't so astounded, she'd have thought he looked kind of cute smiling for a change. As it was, she just watched as the flowers formed the chain she had so carefully imagined, and having finally done that they fell back, carefully, into her shaking hands. Not knowing what to say, she just stared at the now still daisies, her mind a total blank.

"Lil, you're like me, you're special too. I mean, you are anyway, but even more than anyone knows."

Lily looked up at Severus, and shocked as she still was, she still realised Severus, stoic, stone-faced Severus Snape of Spinner's End, had just given her a _compliment_. Though it would normally have been tempting to tease him for that, she was far, far more interested in what he'd just said, what she'd just _done._

"Sev? What do you mean? What was that, what did we just _do?"_

Severus, with all his typical monotone and inability to be poetic or dramatic, replied flatly and simply.

"Magic, Lil. You're a witch, and I'm a wizard. I'll bet you've got a 'visitor' coming tomorrow too, right?"

 _Witch? Wizard? He must be joking, and how does he know about the visitor..._

But he wasn't joking, she knew that instinctively. Severus didn't joke about things like that, and his eyes were locked on hers, as sure a sign as any he was being completely honest with her, not to mention, if he had guessed she had a visitor coming, then it could only be because he had one coming too. Maybe he was telling the truth? Her eyes widened as she realised that, just maybe, that explained why her parents seemed so excited since they got the letter last week.

But, as Lily thought about all this, Severus' words brought another truth to her mind, and the wonder of the moment gave way to the crushing realisation that hit her like a freight train as 'Witch' was replaced, very suddenly, by another, harsher word in her mind.

" _Freak."_

Petunia's cold, harsh voice rang in her ears, and as it did Lily shook, tears beginning to form in her eyes, as she finally realised the truth that came from what she and Severus had just done.

 _Tunie was right, I -am- a freak! All those times we argued, all those weird things that happened to me, and all along, she was right. I'm a freak, a monster. They're coming to take me away!_

Her vision blurred and she stood shakily, stumbling to try and escape, to get away. She couldn't face this, couldn't accept it. It couldn't be true! But as she stood Severus, confused and dismayed by her sudden crying, leapt to his feet too.

"Lil?! What's wrong?"

She barely heard him and turned to run, fully intending to bolt as far away as she could, somewhere, _anywhere_ but here. She couldn't face any of them, not her mum, not her dad, and definitely not Petunia. Not now.

"Lil, please, tell me what's wrong."

A hand, warm and unexpected, dropped onto her shoulder and Lily came to a halt, though her tears were now falling freely, and she said nothing, too upset to even be shocked by the unexpected physical contact from Severus, of all people. Nothing could tear her mind from the word now screaming itself at her.

 _Freak, freak, freak, freak, freak, freak, fr-_

"Lil?"

The chanting abruptly stopped as a pair of arms, decidedly bony but warm, enveloped around her from behind and she stopped trying to move, shocked and confused.

"Suh...Sev?"

She turned her head, confused, distraught, and lost. Then she met Sev's eyes as he hugged her tightly, his head over her shoulder, looking at her for all the world as though he was going to cry himself.

"Lil, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't think...I didn't mean to upset you, I thought...I thought you'd be happy, and I just wanted to share this with you. You're my friend, I just wanted to show you something amazing as a friend, rather than you hearing it from some 'official'."

Lily stared at Severus, seeing only sincerity in his panicked features, and stopped trying to run, but the tears kept coming.

"Oh Sev, it's not your fault, it's mine."

"What? What are you talking about Lil? What's your fault?"

Lily didn't respond, just continued to shake lightly in his arms and Severus, having now committed to such close contact, chose to simply hold on, apparently noticing that Lily was, at least, not trying to throw him off in disgust. After a few moments he pulled back from her slightly, watching her carefully.

"Lil?"

Lily took a shuddering breath, calming herself a little. She'd lost control, and now began to feel embarrassed about it. She wiped roughly at her eyes, trying to clean up her appearance again as she smiled as best she could back at him.

"I'm OK, I just, I need time to think about this, I'm sorry Sev. Thank you for telling me this, for trusting me."

Severus was frowning at her, clearly not happy, and she found herself, for the first time since she'd known him, feeling like she was being given a stern look by her own father, rather than a boy her own age.

"Lil, if you want to go that's fine, but I want to be clear about something first."

Lily just looked at him, waiting to hear what he had to say and he dropped his gaze, shuffling his feet and looking once more like the boy he was.

"I just, look, I know it's not my business, and I don't know why you were so sad earlier, but it doesn't take a genius to guess it probably involves Petunia."

Lily bristled, despite herself, at the implied rebuke towards her sister but Severus, clearly anticipating it, raised a hand in a gesture so unusually authoritative that she just fell silent in surprise.

"I'm not going to insult her, though I'd like to, I just want you to remember something. Whatever she says when she finds out, and I'm afraid she _will_ find out, you're _not_ weird, or abnormal. You're just Lily, and that won't change."

Lily would ordinarily have angrily defended her sister and yet, as Severus finished speaking, she felt all desire to argue leave her. Partly, though she would never admit it, because she knew Severus was right, and probably had already guessed what upset her long before he'd first spoken earlier. After all, she and Petunia arguing was nothing knew, and was the main reason Severus disliked her sister so much to begin with.

She sighed, too confused and upset to think too much now, and just desperate to get to her own bed and escape all this. Still, she couldn't help but feel a warm glow, however small, inside her as Severus smiled at her again, making this the most times he'd ever smiled at her in one afternoon. If the circumstances were different, she'd have called it a success, but as it was...

"Thank you, Sev. I need to go now, though. But..." Lily paused and Severus watched her carefully, clearly worried about what she was going to say next, "Well, it's a big day for me tomorrow, and I just wanted to let you know if you want to meet, I'll be here again tomorrow night, same place as usual."

Lily smiled as best she could again and Severus watched her carefully for a moment, again making her feel as though he could see right through her at a glance, as well as a little tense, until he smiled back.

"Sounds good to me, Lil. I'll see you then, just...remember what I said, yeah?"

Lily looked at him for a moment before giving a small nod and an even smaller but warm smile as the usual nervous and unsure Severus reasserted himself before her again. At least, whatever her family might think of her in time, she could always turn to Severus. He was moody, cold, and could be very mean to Petunia, but as far as Lily was concerned, he was as good a friend as any she had.

"Yeah, I'll try Sev. See you later then."

Lily turned and, with a last wave as she left the park, made her way back home, leaving an anxious Severus stood by the edge of the park, watching her go. When she finally fell asleep that night, too exhausted even to argue when her mum and dad told her off for running out of the house, her thoughts lingered only on daisies, and the cold, remorseless whisper of the word she'd already heard more times than she ever would wish to.

 _Freak._

What terrified her is, despite what Severus said, she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, Petunia was right to think it. After all, Lily thought with a pained grimace as she drifted to sleep, what else do you call a _witch_?

 ** _A cub before a lion_**

"Lils? Honey? Someone's here to see you, darling."

Grace Evans frowned as she watched her daughter come down the stairs to the hallway, the first time she'd emerged from her room since the night before, and looking for all the world as though she was an animal being lured into a cage. She had a sneaking suspicion she knew who had a hand in putting the fear of god into Lily, but she had no time to deal with it just now, they couldn't keep this 'Professor' waiting.

"I'm here, mum." Lily spoke softly, feeling as though she was about to collapse as she padded softly through the hall, past her mum's concerned frown, and entered the living room to find her dad sat drinking tea with a lady who was by far the most tarten-covered woman she had ever seen, with stern features and an air of authority that immediately brought Lily's mind into full alert mode. Clearly, this visitor of hers was not someone to cross, that much was obvious, and it only heightened her anxiety. Wringing her hands slightly, she moved forward as bravely as she could, and both her dad and this unknown woman turned to face her.

"Ah, this must be Miss Evans, then? A pleasure to meet you, dear."

Lily moved closer to the older woman's extended hand, hesitating only a moment before reaching out to take her hand, as her father, looking slightly concerned at his daughter's nervousness, introduced them.

"Lils, this is Professor, uh, McGoonagall, was it?"

"McGonagall" The older woman intoned, slightly sharply, but still with a slight smile as she took Lily's now extended hand for a brief shake, before Lily sat beside her father on the couch opposite the Professor, who was settled in what happened to be Lily's favourite fireside chair. Not that she planned to challenge her, she was frankly terrified beyond words. The professor was watching Lily intently, a frown forming slightly at the corners of her mouth as she watched Lily fidget under her gaze before she finally spoke.

"Miss Evans, there's no need to be nervous, I'm not here for any untoward purpose. In fact, I'm here to offer you a place at a rather special institution, one I work for."

 _Institution._

"Oh?"

Lily could think of nothing else to say. It just felt like her fears were confirmed, and she squirmed slightly in her chair, thinking, rather surprisingly to herself, _I wish Sev was here, he seems to understand what's going on_.

"Well, I'll come to the point. Miss Evans, I would like to offer you an invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where I am the Deputy Headmistress, as well as head of one of our four school houses, and also the Transfiguration professor."

Lily blinked. Then again, and again. She tried to process the words, but they simply weren't going through her brain at all. So, Sev was right, then? But, a school? Houses? _Transfiguration?_

"Um, excuse me, professor, but, do you mean to say I'm a witch, then?" Lily noticed her father, sitting beside her, sat a little straighter, and if she didn't know better, she'd swear he almost wore a look of pride on his face, even if he was trying to keep his face blank. He was never very good at that, she thought, and almost smiled for the first time since she'd left Severus the previous night.

The older woman adjusted herself in her seat, lips pursed and watching Lily carefully, before simply removing a stick from her sleeve, pointing it at the coffee table, and promptly causing it to rise up, the tea cups doing a small mid-air dance, before settling back to the ground. Calmly, the professor replaced the stick in her sleeve and clasped her hands, giving Lily a small smile at the astonished look on her face.

"Woah."

Sam Evans was, as ever, the master of the succinct, and summarised the feeling of both his daughter and himself in one simple expression. Lily would have laughed, if she wasn't still feeling a little anxious about what all this meant about her. What it _made_ her.

"Uh, professor?"

The older woman looked at Lily over the top of her glasses, signalling her silently to continue.

"Um, I just, well, I don't want to be rude but, if I can do that, doesn't that make me...weird? Abnormal?" Lily stopped herself short of the word that tormented her mind the previous night, but the pursing of the professors lips seemed answer enough.

"Miss Evans, I can assure you, while magic is an unusual gift, it is certainly not a marker of who is and is not _normal_ , or, as you put it, _weird._ You are just as ordinary as any other girl your age, you simply have a gift most do not. It's more like you are a prodigy of a sort. But magic is present everywhere and in everyone, and the fact you can control it has nothing to do with normality. It's simply that you have the fortune to have that gift, where others don't."

"But," Lily interrupted, against her better judgement, knowing the professor was clearly not the sort to appreciate it, but desperate to clear up her biggest fear, "some people might say it makes me...well...a freak."

Lily heard a gasp from the doorway and turned to see her mum stood there, staring at her, and having clearly realised now for certain what had upset Lily so much. Lily regretted that, as she knew punishing Petunia would not help, but there was nothing that she could do now but wait for the professor's answer.

Professor McGonagall stared at Lily for a long moment, and as she did, Lily felt her father's hand, warm and comforting, reach her shoulder and give her a firm squeeze, and for the first time that day, Lily finally relaxed, feeling as though a weight was being lifted.

"Miss Evans, I'll be frank with you, there will indeed be people who say such things, and worse, about you."

Lily sighed, feeling as though her fears had been confirmed, and her father's hand tightened slightly, his own expression darkening as the professor leaned forward, her eyes fixed on Lily, who met her gaze as steadily as she could.

"But what you need to remember is this. The difference between a good person and a bad one, though often hard to tell, is just the same in the wizarding world as it is in this one. It's the difference between children who bully a girl who does the right thing, and the girl herself, who puts herself in the firing line for others." The professor smiled fully at Lily for the first time, and Lily felt her anxiety draining away, finally.

"I can't promise you an easy journey into our world Miss Evans, and I will be explaining more of this to your parents, but I can, at least, promise you this: should you choose to accept the invitation, and should you, by chance, come to my own house, I would be proud to welcome you."

Lily smiled, a genuine smile at last, and both her mum and dad seemed to relax at seeing this, sensing that whatever tension had been hovering in the air overnight was finally dispersed as Lily stood, guessing that whatever the professor wanted to say next was for her parents. As she made to leave however, she turned to ask a final question.

"Um, professor? Which house are you in charge of?"

The professor's eyes seemed to sparkle ever so slightly, but she replied in as crisp a tone as she had been using since the beginning.

"Well, that would be telling, and I don't believe in cheating the competition. That said, I still look forward to welcoming you to my house. Somehow, I can always tell which new students will be joining my cubs."

With that somewhat vague answer, the professor smiled and nodded at Lily, and taking the dismissal Lily left the room to stand in the hallway, leaning against the wall, and allowing her thoughts to run free at last.

It was true, Severus wasn't lying, or tricking her. She really was a witch, and if he was getting a visitor too, they'd be going to Hogwarts together then. Smiling to herself, she felt relieved she already had one friend who'd be there for her. And, as she thought on that, she wondered to herself just what magic would mean for her. The possibilities, the secrets to unlock, it was all so exciting.

Yet, as she made her way back up to her room, preparing to catch up at least a little on sleep before meeting Severus later as promised, she couldn't help but feel a pang of pain as she passed Petunia's room. Somehow, she just knew this was not going to go down well, but all she could do was meet that challenge when it came. For now, she just wanted to dream. With any luck, this time it would be of daisies, floating coffee sets, and, for a little amusement, maybe Severus' embarrassed face too?

With that thought and a mischievous smirk, Lily finally got some rest.


End file.
